Standards and Educational Publications --C. Barnes Gallagher Needs Assessment Over the past two years, affordable legal protection has been encumbered by California legislation which has cut public funds by 17-billion dollars (CTA, 2010); furthermore, public colleges have been cut by 2.8 billion dollars, and community school districts that include public colleges have been cut by another 32 billion (Galuszka, 2009). Imposing even more financial hardship, the California University system will be cut by another 3.5 billion dollars, and more cuts are foreseeable (Naftali, 2010). These diminishing funds in education are affecting the legal protection and defense that stockholders of the educational press require so as to maintain the functional equipment and environment that they share with students and other professionals. Aware that their reports maybe misunderstood, writers, reporters, and lecturers are seeking adequate legal protection. When publicity and quality editorials are assessed erroneously, accomplished educators are unable to be compensated for their excellent performance because they must protect themselves from costly judgments. The professional press should be able to address all sides of an issue; however, some individuals maintain philosophies, policies, and notions that others interpret as bias, perspectives that impede the rights of the stockholders of educational publications. Unless stockholders of educational publications are able to file charges of unfair labor practices with the National Labor Relations Board, for example, they will continue to remain victims of education cuts. Legal defense includes proper representation with county BAR

associations, superior courts, and supreme courts, needs that should not be stalled by those who regard advancing education goals as illusive and arduous (Gay & LaBonte, 2003). To complicate the misfortunes attributed to state budget cuts and unaffordable legal defense, stockholders of professional publications represent a national population of declining educational standards. President Obama admits that national literary competency is competitively disadvantaged by international learning institutions abroad that achieve greater numbers of college graduates (Wilson, 2010). The Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management recognizes that the quality of teachers has declined—students with high verbal and math achievement levels are no longer entering the teaching profession (Faizi, 2010). Since the publishers, editors, design and production crews have learned that the Berkeley Daily Californian went entirely online, everyone ever involved in Newman Hall’s stages of journalism and publishing has been concerned about overall marketing, online predators, and overall security. A very startling realization is undermining the value of journalistic ethics, educational publications, that which is newsworthy, and the education essential to these needs. Until these stockholders are able to maintain all the evidence and support that they need from pertinent labor unions, legislators, and the court system, they will continue to remain victims of fraud and harassment by those who cater to their own personal interests; therefore, they must achieve performance objectives that they adequately measured as follows. Performance Standards Element: Legal Protection, Action, and Representation. The publisher and production crew prosper when the volume of reporting:

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Indicates that staff members are receiving adequate legal protection to promote all of the news essential to ethically sound coverage, a quantity of high-quality periodicals that enable success.

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Indicates evidence of effective legal action. Indicates that members of the board are able to be legally represented.

Element: California’s Budget and Educational Publications. The publisher and production crew prosper when the volume of reporting:  The last two year’s $50-billion-dollar cuts in California’s education are reversed so as to relieve overall hardship.  Budget cuts of the media do not adversely affect educational publications and journalistic ethics. Element: Resolution or Lawsuit. The publisher and production crew prosper when the volume of reporting:  Unattainable solutions of impositions are resolved in court through fair and proper legal procedure. Element: Action through a Union or Court. The publisher and production crew prosper when the volume of reporting:  Reporters who are alienated from their established Union(s) due to press consolidation are able to file charges of unfair labor practices with the National Labor Relations Board, for example.  Staff members are able to plan and proceed with action over current legislative practices.

Element: A New Generation and Ethical Journalism. The publisher and production crew prosper when the volume of reporting:

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When equipment and software programs are upgraded at a rate that is fair to the new generation as well as to the senior generation.

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When ethical journalist standards are practiced through major online and offline news media.